Prunes á la creme

I can’t understand why prunes are so unpopular; to me they are delicious in just about every form I’ve ever eaten them. I think I still might be the prune eating champion of the school I went to, although my Dutch friend Maaike might hold that honour.

I’ve come across all sorts of recipes… but do I really fancy this ninety year old receipt?

Prunes á la creme

• 3 dsp sugar
• ¾ lb prunes ready soaked or revived in 1 pt water for 12 hours
• ½ oz blanched almonds, chopped
• 1 oz finely chopped candied peel
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• ½ packet lemon jelly
• ½ gill sherry
• ½ oz leaf gelatin
• cochineal
• 1 gill cream
• vanilla essence
• 1 oz blanched pistachio nuts, chopped

1. dissolve the jelly in 2 gill shot water
2. set 2 tbsp of jelly in the bottom of a mould rinsed with cold water
3. sprinkle on half the chopped pistachios and cover with a little jelly, leave to set
4. put prunes and liquor (or water) sugar, candied peel, lemon zest into a pan and cook very gently until the prunes are really soft
5. strain and boil liquor for a few minutes until it has thickened and leave to cool
6. dissolve the gelatin in ½ gill of prune syrup
7. add fruit, lemon juice, sherry, almonds, jelly to the rest of the liquor
8. strain in the gelatin and stir until it thickens
9. add cochineal
10. pour into mould on top of the jelly and pistachios and leave to set
11. add vanilla and sugar if desired to cream, whisk until thick
12. unmould jelly and pipe round cream
13. sprinkle a few chopped nuts onto the cream